Beer-cask



(No Model.)

- W. HEISER.

I BEERGASK. No. 337,401. Patented MarfQ, 1886.

lllesses;

siren Starts Artur Garten.

VILLIAM HEISER, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK.

BEER-CASK.

forming can of Letters Patent Noz 337,401, dated March 9, i884?.v

Application (iledDeccnibcr9,1SS5. Serial No. 185.115.

To aZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HnrsnR, of Buffalo, in the county ot' Erie and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements on Beer-Casks; and l do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, i'orms a full, clear, and exact specilication, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has general reference to improvements on beercasks; and it cou- Sists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination ot' parts and details of construction, as hereinafter tirst l'ully set iorth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustrate my said invention more fully, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation oi' a beer-cask provided with my iinprovements. Flo'. 2 is an end View ol' the same. Eig. 3 isa longitudinal sectional elevation on an increased scale.

Like parts are designated by corresponding` letters of reference in all the ligures.

The object ot' my present invention is the production of a fastening for the heads of hogsheads, beer casks, and similar large wooden Vessels, which shall prevent the said heads from swelling or pushing out when pressure is applied to the liquid contained in said vessels, and their contracting when said pressure is removech Heretoforc hogsheads and similar large barrels and casks were made with a central rod running through them, the object of said rod being to prevent the heads from spreading or swelling when pressure is applied. These rods are provided, usually', with a head on one end and a nut on the other end. rIhis construction is faulty, inasmuch as said nuts and heads ofthe bolts will embed themselves into the wood when pressure exists in the interior of said casks; but as soon as this pressure is removed the heads will recede from the bolthead and nut, and leakage of said barrels or casks will immediately follow. To avoid this drawback and great objection, I construct these hogsheads and casks A, substantially, with heads B B and brace them with rods C. On

(No model.)

the outside of these heads, which are usually inwardly curved, I provide a brace-timber, D D', said brace-rod C being arranged to run through said heads andv brace timbers, as clearly shown in the drawings. The rods C have on each end an enlarged portion, d d', having screw-threads, and two nuts, E G, itting said threads.

On the outside of the brace-timbers D D there are, underneath the nuts E, large plates FF, and on the inside, underneath the nuts G G, there are washers H, ot' suitable material, against which said nuts bear.

In arranging thcsevvessels I iii-st bore holes of a diameter fitting the exterior ot' the screwthreaded portions (l d', through the heads and brace-timbers, in about the center of the said heads. Thenr I remove three ot' the nuts mentioned and push the rod C through one of the heads. I then place a washer, two nuts, and a washer onto the rod in the-inside of the cask, and then pass the rod through the op posite head. and secure the last nut on the outside of said head. New, I begin to tension the heads by turning the nuts G with a suitable wrench, in a direction in accordance with the thread on the rod C, so as to force said heads outward about to a position which.

they would occupy when under pressure, and then screw the outside nuts tight, it being uuderstood that for this purpose an operator enters the interior ofthe cask through the usual man-hole, (not shown.) which said manfhole is afterward closed with the usual man-hole plate in a manner so well known and understood as not to require illustration by way ot' drawings.

It being a fact that the barrels and casks are for a longer time under pressure than off, it is obvious that by tensioning the heads to the position due to the average pressure there is but little it' any strain on the nuts when the cask is in use. It therefore follows that leakage from continuous expansion and contraction is practically impossible.

The entire barrel or cask is readily constructed, and my invention adds but a trifle to the cost of the same, while the saving in time to calk the heads and the increased durability of the same is quite an item in favor of my invention.v

IOO

Having thus fully described my invention, bers D D', central rod,G, and fastenings on the I claim as new and desire to secure to me by ends of said rod, whereby the heads B B may Letters Patent of the United Slatesbe eXpanded,and then locked in position, sub- 15 l. As an improved article of manufacture, stantially as described, and for the use and 5 a hogsheud, barrel, or similar vessel having purpose stated.

heads B B, brace'tilnbers D D, central rod, C, In testimony that claim the foregoing as my having enlarged screw ends cl d', nuts E and invention I have hereto set my hand in the G, and plates and Washers F H, the whole bepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ing constructed and combined substantially as XVM. HEISER. ro described, for the purpose specied. Attest:

2. In beer hogsheads and barrels, the con1 MICHAEL J. STARK,

bination, with the heads B B, of the brace-tim JESSIE A. TULLEY. 

